physical geography latin america

By Jack Garrity

Physical Geography Latin America

Chapter 8 Pages 200-

206

Latin America has the longest river and mountain range in the world.

The physical environment affects people and their activities. The rugged Andes and massive rivers of Latin America influence human settlement in the region.

Landforms Latin America covers 16 percent of the Earth’s land surface,

around 8 million sq. km.

Landforms Geographers divide Latin America in to three sub-regions; Middle America,

Landforms Geographers divide Latin America in to three sub-regions; Middle America, the Caribbean

Landforms Geographers divide Latin America in to three sub-regions; Middle America, the Caribbean, and South America.

Mountains and Plateaus Latin America’s mountains distinguish the region.

Mountains and Plateaus They stretch from North America (Rockies) to the

tip of South America.

Mountains and Plateaus Mexico names them the Sierra Madre Mountains.

Mountains and Plateaus In Southern Central America the name changes to

the Central Highlands.

Mountains and Plateaus In South America, they call them the Andes.

Mountains and Plateaus The Ring of Fire’s colliding plates formed the range

over millions of years.

Mountains and Plateaus Plate movements continue to change the region.

Mountains and Plateaus In 1999, a 6.6 earthquake destroyed many towns

in villages in Columbia.

Mountains and Plateaus Humans have settled on Latin America’s

mountains and plateaus for thousands of years.

A plateau is a flat, elevated landform that rises sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. 

Mountains and Plateaus Volcanic soil, minerals, wood and water attract

settlements.

Mountains and Plateaus The rugged terrain tends to isolate communities

from each other.

Mountains and Plateaus Today Pokemon and Snappy Chatty help break

down those barriers to communication.

Mountains of Middle America and the Caribbean

The Sierra Madre mountains surround the populated Mexican Plateau.

Mountains of Middle America and the Caribbean

A mild climate, fertile volcanic soil, and water has supported cities for more than a thousand years.

Mountains of Middle America and the Caribbean

The volcanic mountain chain of the Central Highlands continues under the Gulf of Mexico.

Mountains of Middle America and the Caribbean

Volcanoes formed most of the islands of the Caribbean Sea.

Mountains of Middle America and the Caribbean

Some active volcanoes make life precarious at best.

precarious 1 : depending on the will or pleasure of

another. 2 : dependent on uncertain premises

Andes of South America The Andes run 7,242 km along the western edge of

South America, the longest in the world.

Andes of South America Some mountains rise to 6,096 meters.

Andes of South America Cordilleras (parallel mountain ranges) make up the

Andes, which tend to isolate communities.

Andes of South America The Andes surround the altiplano (high plain) in

Peru and Bolivia.

Andes of South America In Southern Argentina, flatlands form the plateau

of Patagonia.

Andes of South America The Andes cause a rain shadow desert in

Patagonia.

High Lands of Brazil The Mato Grosso Platea spreads across Brazil,

Bolivia, and Peru.

600 m above sea level, the plateau is covered with a mixture of savanna grasslands and woodland.

The connect are a continuation of the Brazilian Highlands.

High Lands of Brazil The Brazilian Highlands has many climate and

vegetation zones.

High Lands of Brazil Its’ warm climate and open spaces make it good

for livestock.

High Lands of Brazil The Eastern Highlands plunge to the Atlantic

Ocean forming an escarpment.

escarpment ɪˈskɑːpm(ə)nt,ɛ-/ noun a long, steep slope, especially one at the

edge of a plateau or separating areas of land at different heights.

Lowlands and Plains Narrow coastal lowlands run along much of South

America, especially Brazil.

Lowlands and Plains The escarpment begins in the northeast and goes

southward to Uruguay.

Lowlands and Plains The escarpment shapes population patterns, most

people live in cities on the coast.

Lowlands and Plains The llanos grasslands provide great places to raise

cattle in Colombia and Venezuela.

Lowlands and Plains The llanos grasslands provide great places to raise

cattle in Colombia and Venezuela.

Lowlands and Plains The pampas grasslands provide great places to

raise cattle in Argentina and Uruguay.

Lowlands and Plains The pampas is one of the world’s bread basket.

Lowlands and Plains The pampas and llanos shape human culture,

producing llaneros or gauchos or cowboys.

Water Systems The regions major waterways are in South

America, Middle America has mostly small rivers.

Water Systems The Amazon River runs 6,400 km through the

heart of South America.

Water Systems Ocean ships can travel 3,701 km of the Amazon

due to its great depth and width.

Water Systems Hundreds of smaller rivers drain into the Amazon

forming the Amazon Basin (2 million km sq).

Water Systems The Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers drains

the rainy eastern half of South America.

Water Systems The Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay Rivers drains

the rainy eastern half of South America.

Water Systems These rivers provide a water highway between

cities.

Water Systems They are a source of hydroelectric power.

Water Systems They all flow into the estuary Rio de la Plata

(Silver River).

estuary ˈɛstjʊ(ə)ri/ noun the tidal mouth of a large river, where the

ocean tide meets the fresh water.

Water Systems The Rio Grande River forms the far northern

boarder of Latin America.

Water Systems The human made Panama Canal allows ships to travel

between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, without sailing around the continent.

Water Systems Lake Maracaibo is South America’s largest lake,

which merges with Venezuel’s oil fields.

Water Systems At 3,810, Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest

navigable lake.

Natural Resources Latin America is super rich in natural resources.

Natural Resources Mexico and Venezuela are rich in oil and natural

gas deposits.

Natural Resources Venezuela has large amounts of gold.

Natural Resources Mexico and Peru have lots of silver.

Natural Resources Columbia has the best emeralds for over 1000

years.

Natural Resources Chile is the world’s largest exporter of copper.

Natural Resources Jamaica produces the most bauxite, the main

source of aluminum.

Next time, Cultural Latin America

end